Sustainability has been an integral part of Deka Immobilien for many years and shapes everything we do. Deka Immobilien pursues its own sustainability strategy in line with the Deka Group’s overarching sustainability strategy, based on the guiding principle “Sustainable together. With good reason.”
As the Deka Group’s real estate specialist, our aim is to be a leading provider of products with sustainability features. In doing so, we attach great importance to sustainable standards and take our responsibility towards future generations seriously. Our fiduciary mandate obliges us to manage our investors’ funds by pursuing economically, environmentally and socially sustainable business practices. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria are consistently incorporated into our investment and management decisions as well as into our corporate strategy.
Mitigating global warming is a key challenge for us. The real estate sector plays a pivotal role in this, as it has the greatest impact on the 'E' (environment) pillar of ESG: properties account for around 40% of global energy consumption and 30% of CO₂ emissions.
This is why our approach to sustainability places particular emphasis on environmental measures. With our portfolio of over 550 properties, we have significant leverage and can make a substantial contribution.
Our aim is to reduce the environmental footprint of our properties continuously through innovative solutions, and to operate in a climate-neutral manner by 2050.
As a responsible company, we not only focus our sustainability strategy on combating climate change, but also attach great importance to adapting to its consequences. Why is this important?
In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning to a climate-neutral economy, the reality of climate change requires us to prepare for its unavoidable consequences. Extreme weather, rising temperatures and changing environmental conditions affect both society as a whole and the real estate sector directly. That is why we are strengthening our real estate's resilience and developing strategies to adapt to increasing climate‑related challenges. At the same time, we are minimising risks by performing targeted analyses and enacting preventive measures.
We take a holistic approach to social responsibility: in our buildings, our neighbourhoods and in companies.
We invest in places worth living in – for users, neighbourhoods and society.
We promote inclusion, health and cohesion – with impacts reaching beyond the property itself.
As a responsible company, the Deka Group is committed to sustainable HR management and social engagement. Our common goal is to create a working environment that is characterised by diversity, equal opportunities and personal development. A fair, diverse and healthy working environment is the foundation for a sustainable business. That’s why we promote work-life balance through our flexible working models, home office options, crèche and kindergarten places, targeted health programmes and much more.
At the same time, we are committed to working on social causes to help create a better community. These social objectives are organised and actively promoted by DekaBank to ensure they are uniformly and effectively implemented. That’s how we combine economic success with social responsibility.
Find out more about Deka as an employer here
Together with its partners, DekaBank supports educational initiatives, social organisations and cultural projects. These range from supporting the Arche Frankfurt to our partnership with the German National Youth Orchestra. Employees also actively and directly contribute through programmes such as “Deka engagiert vor Ort” (“Deka gets involved in the community” or the “Rest Cent” (“Spare change”) campaign. We also support social initiatives at our locations and at a neighbourhood level, such as by participating in planning processes or local projects to improve location quality.
More about social commitment
For us, sustainability means designing real estate that is ecologically, socially and functionally fit for the future. Our buildings should create spaces that meet the needs of all their users and make positive contributions to society.
We focus on innovative solutions that prioritise accessibility, safety, well-being and social infrastructure.
Guaranteeing accessibility and social engagement for all user groups is a key criterion of good real estate quality for us. When making investments, we ensure they comply with modern construction and technical standards. During construction projects, we specifically examine how conditions for barrier-free use can be improved and how best to take the individual requirements of tenants and users into account.
A safe and healthy environment is a prerequisite for achieving a high quality of life. Among other things, Deka Immobilien relies on modern lighting concepts, digital access systems and clearly structured pathways – supplemented by security standards that we routinely review with our tenants. We promote health and well-being by providing good air quality, plenty of daylight and intelligent controls for the indoor climate. Whenever possible, we include communal and recreational spaces in our projects that help our customers stay active, unwind, and connect with each other.
A property’s social infrastructure includes important location factors such as medical care, childcare, educational and local amenities. It improves the quality of life around our properties. As part of our investment planning, we review existing arrangements and consult tenants on where improvements would be most effective.
